Former Beauty Queen Found Dead in Philippine Waters After Abduction
A former beauty queen who was abducted in Ormoc City, Leyte, has been found dead, her body recovered from the sea near Tacloban City on the morning of 4 August.
According to a statement from the Police Regional Office 8, a local fisherman alerted authorities after spotting the corpse floating in the water. Officials from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and local law enforcement later retrieved the body and brought it ashore.
Body Showed Signs of Trauma and Restraint
When authorities arrived, they found the woman’s naked body bloated and showing signs of physical trauma. Her eyeballs were bulging, her tongue protruded, and her neck, wrists, and ankles had been tightly bound. Her face was also covered with a black cloth and wrapped in blue duct tape.
Distinctive tattoos on her abdomen and back helped police identify the victim as 35-year-old Akini Arradaza, a former beauty queen who was reported missing after being abducted on 31 July in Ormoc City, located about 46 kilometers from where her body was found.
Her identity was later confirmed by family members. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
CCTV Captured Violent Abduction by Armed Men
CCTV footage from 31 July shows Arradaza being forcibly taken by three unidentified armed men. She was standing by the roadside when the suspects pushed her into a black vehicle. According to her sister, who reported the incident on 4 August, Arradaza had briefly spoken to a local resident that morning before the abduction occurred.
Authorities believe the same vehicle was later seen heading toward Tacloban. Police are now coordinating with neighboring regions in an effort to locate the suspects and bring them to justice.
